Want to try food prepared by some of the best Chefs in the Triangle? The Got To Be NC Competition Dining Series event, Fire In the Triangle, dining events kick off July 8th and conclude on August 19th. The 15 dining events will be hosted at 1705 Prime, the area’s premier private event space owned by Rocky Top Catering at 1705 East Millbrook Road, Raleigh, NC 27609 (Map).

HOW IT WORKS: Chefs from across the Triangle region were invited to apply for the competition. Paying guests will savor each course in a blind tasting alongside a panel of culinary and celebrity judges in a series of 15 dinner competitions. Each evening, two restaurants “battle” it out side-by-side in a single elimination format. Guests savor a six-course menu (three dishes from each chef without knowing whose food they’re tasting) created around a “featured” ingredient. For each dinner, the ingredient will come from a North Carolina farmer or artisan producer. The featured ingredient is revealed to the chefs only an hour before they start cooking, and it must be used in each of the three courses.

The preliminary match-ups are listed below with each chef heading a team of three:

July 8: Herons at the Umstead Hotel and Spa, Cary vs. Capital Club 16, Raleigh

August 6: Battle between winner of July 22 and July 23 (quarterfinals)

August 12: Battle between winner of July 29 and July 30 (quarterfinals)

August 13: Battle between winner of August 5 and August 6 (semifinals)

August 19: Battle between winner of August 12 and August 13 (finals)

From Battle Goat Cheese Event ~ Photo Courtesy Competition Dining NC

The goal of the Got To Be NC North Carolina Competition Dining in its second year is part of a larger movement. Because we are all chefs, farmers, or diners, our mission is to connect and celebrate this community through a dynamic, entertaining experience.

Diners, alongside culinary and guest judges, will rate each dish and determine who moves on to the next round and who goes home. At stake in each series is a grand prize of $2,000, a handmade chef knife by Ironman Forge in Charlotte, and the coveted “Red Chef Jacket.” The runner-up receives $500. Tickets for dinners cost $59 excluding beverage, tax and tip. The semi-final and final ticket prices are $69. Diners can attend as many dinners as they like. Tickets are on sale now at CompetitionDining.com. Hurry. Tickets are going fast and several nights are already sold out!